6/8/2023 0 Comments Serious sam 4 reviewThe Serious Sam series doesn’t really need this type of system, as the previous installments have always been about using your own skills and capabilities to overcome impossible odds. Could the game have lived without it? Without a doubt. It’s not a very comprehensive system, to be perfectly honest, but it adds a delightful dopamine kick when you slowly increase the things Sam is capable of doing while squaring off against his adversaries. This time around, Serious Sam 4 incorporates a very light RPG system that allows you to boost our gravelly-voiced hero’s abilities by essentially absorbing mysterious alien orbs scattered around the maps. Naturally, you’ll eventually get used to the mayhem as the levels wear on, but the buzz is definitely strong while it lasts. Without giving too much away, the opening scene, which tosses Sam in front of a humongous alien army, is a sight to behold. However, this is really the first time I’ve seen a first-person shooter employee this mechanic on such an overwhelming scale. For anyone who’s played musou games, this isn’t anything new taking down hordes of foes is just another day at the proverbial office. Instead of a small cluster of creatures who want to rip your asunder, you’re frequently faced with overwhelming odds against a staggering number of different enemies. Serious Sam 4 relies on a pretty interesting hook: It strives to deliver an insane amount of enemies on the field of battle at one time. Oh, and you get to pilot a mech at one point during the campaign, which is quite nice. Whenever I thought I’d started to grow a little weary of the Sam and company’s one-note shenanigans, the story shipped me to another locale and dropped me in the middle of another breathless onslaught of mayhem. The simple “aim, shoot, repeat” mentality may seem overly simple when compared to other similar offerings, but the game excels at providing you with a pure rush of adrenaline, especially when you’re surrounded on all sides of vampires that fling horrifying spirits and raging bulls that will quickly deplete your health and armor. And you’ll definitely have plenty to battle here, as Croteam stuffs the game to overflowing with the franchise’s iconic villains, as well as a few new surprises. But that’s the nature of this otherworldly beast: Fans line up to blast away at wave after wave of aliens, without such complications as exhaustive cut scenes or needless exposition. Serious Sam 4 certainly delivers plenty of entertainment value, even if the action does get a bit repetitive after a while. It’s all very Michael Bay in its execution, and I mean that in the most flattering way possible. The plot provides a loose framework for lots and lots of shooting, and the fourth mainline installment doesn’t stray from this setup. Which is fine, really, because telling a strong, satisfying story isn’t something that the Serious Sam franchise has ever done exceedingly well. Sam’s goal, of course, is to wipe the aliens off the planet and save humanity - that’s pretty much all you should expect. In place of an in-depth story, you lots of weapons, mountains of ammunition, and a never-ending supply of cringy one-liners. Sure, aliens have taken over the world, but the titular hero journey isn’t particularly noteworthy. Obviously, if booking an extended stay with Serious Sam 4, you shouldn’t anticipate much of a plot. Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital understand what fans want, and they’re not really interested in screwing up a winning formula. If you’ve played the previous installments of Serious Sam, then you know what to expect from this experience. And as soon as you’ve finished destroying a group of goons, creeps, and monsters, there are more aliens waiting for their own chance to stomp you into the ground. And that’s precisely what Serious Sam 4 does best. Sure, I love a good story as much as the next person, but sometimes you just want to point, shoot, and repeat. The first few hours of Serious Sam 4 provide the sort of dizzying joy I always crave in mindless first-person shooters.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |